Yemeni Government Forces Strike Sanaa and Saada Following Houthi Claim of Aramco Facility Attack

Yemeni government forces announced they launched strikes on Houthi targets located in Sanaa and Saada, which serve as the rebels' northern stronghold. This action occurred hours after the Iran-backed militia claimed responsibility for an attack on an Aramco oil facility situated near Riyadh.

Armed forces spokesman Col Majed Abdullah Al Nuzaili stated that government forces delivered painful strikes against vital targets belonging to the Houthis in Sanaa and Saada. “The militia’s capabilities will not be safe from the fire of our armed forces, and we will destroy them,” Col Al Nuzaili declared in remarks broadcast on Saudi state television.

Flames engulfed part of the Aramco facility located south of the Saudi capital on Saturday, sending thick black smoke billowing over a nearby highway in images published by international news agencies. Firefighters moved in to tackle the blaze, while ambulances and police vehicles were reportedly seen near the facility.

The Houthis claimed responsibility, asserting they targeted the Saudi oil facility using ballistic missiles and drones in retaliation for Saudi strikes on Houthi-held territory in Yemen. Houthi military spokesman Maj Gen Yahya Saree stated that the operation successfully achieved its objective and caused fires at the targeted sites. Meanwhile, Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm the attack, and Aramco provided no comment regarding the cause of the fire.

Saudi Arabia leads a coalition that intervened in Yemen following the Houthi takeover of the capital Sanaa in 2014. The Houthis additionally reported that Saudi forces carried out about 60 air strikes against their territory over the previous 24 hours, which included attacks on the rebel-held capital, Sanaa.

These latest exchanges coincide with intensifying fighting around Taiz, where government forces are working to prevent the Houthis from tightening their control over the strategic city and its surrounding supply routes. Col Al Nuzaili reported that government forces executed 97 precision targeting operations on fronts in Taiz and Lahij, utilizing aircraft, drones, artillery, missiles, and snipers. These operations neutralized 260 militia members and destroyed or damaged military, transport, and supply vehicles, according to his televised remarks early Sunday morning. The spokesman had previously stated that the military conducted 257 attacks across several fronts, resulting in the deaths of at least 700 Houthi fighters, though these claims could not be independently verified.

This escalation occurs as Saudi Arabia considers a broader offensive against the Iran-backed Houthis. Reuters reported that Riyadh is weighing operations on multiple fronts to push back the group and secure the Red Sea shipping route.

Taiz remains divided into areas controlled by the Houthis and areas controlled by the government, forcing civilians to flee their homes repeatedly. Aid advocates have expressed fear that major population movements could overwhelm humanitarian response efforts, while hunger worsens rapidly across the governorate. In addition to displacing thousands of families, renewed fighting has driven up food prices and cut off access for aid, as reported by the World Food Programme on Friday. Recent WFP monitoring revealed that 74 percent of households in accessible areas could not meet their basic food needs, representing the highest level recorded this year amid the intensifying conflict and deteriorating economic conditions.